Baird Associates Lend Helping Hands During “Baird Gives Back Week”

Event Extends Active Community Involvement of Firm, Associates

Baird associates in Chicago painted a classroom and bathroom, and coordinated other projects at the Metro Achievement Center for girls on May 14.

In Milwaukee, Baird associates prepared and served breakfast to nearly 200 guests at The Gathering on May 12.

Baird associates from offices in McLean and Reston, Va., and Baltimore tidied up the grounds at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. on May 12.

Baird associates and family members donated their time and talents during the week of May 10-15 to help a wide variety of non-profit organizations as part of the firm’s “Baird Gives Back Week.” The initiative was launched last year in Milwaukee where Baird is based, but was expanded this year to Chicago; Nashville; Baltimore; Phoenix and Scottsdale, Ariz.; Reston and McLean, Va.; and Grand Rapids, Mich. Associates across the firm helped with projects such as preparing and serving food, tutoring students, working with seniors, performing indoor and outdoor construction and maintenance, cleaning up parks, and coordinating fundraising events.

Organized by Baird’s Community Involvement Associate Resource Group, a group of associates who share a passion for volunteering, “Baird Gives Back Week” is an extension of Baird’s commitment to the communities in which its associates live and work, which is core to the firm’s culture. This caring commitment is a tradition built through the efforts of the firm, the Baird Foundation and the community involvement of Baird associates.

“Many Baird associates generously share their time and talents to help better their communities throughout the year, so their enthusiastic response to ‘Baird Gives Back Week’ is not surprising,” said Rob Krecak, Research Associate and co-chair of the Community Involvement Associate Resource Group. “The goal of this annual event is to make it easy and fun for all associates to pitch in and show their support, as well as to broaden their exposure to non-profit organizations that can really use the help.”

Said Casey Foltz, Platform Manager and co-chair of the Community Involvement Associate Resource Group, “With non-profit resources stretched very thin, the need for volunteers remains high. We are privileged to do what we can to help these vital community organizations fulfill their important missions.”

Strong community involvement on the part of Baird and its associates is evident in other efforts. In 2009, 98% of our associates in Milwaukee and Chicago contributed to the United Way, raising more than $1 million.

Baird’s firmwide Charitable Gift Matching Program provides a match for associates’ financial contributions to eligible nonprofit organizations. Associates also receive an additional paid day off each year to perform volunteer service through the “Baird Cares” program.

About Baird Baird is an employee-owned, international wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Established in 1919, Baird has more than 2,400 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird oversees and manages client assets of more than $78 billion. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird ranked number 11 on FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For®” in 2010 – its seventh consecutive year on the list. Baird’s principal operating subsidiaries are Robert W. Baird & Co. in the United States and Robert W. Baird Group Ltd. in Europe. Baird also has an operating subsidiary in Asia supporting Baird’s private equity operations. For more information, please visit Baird’s Web site at www.rwbaird.com.